When the cause of back pain is muscle imbalance, lack of balance or too much stress, the practice of yoga postures provides real relief. However, you should first be advised by a teacher trained on this subject.

The spine, a vertical axis if the muscles allow it

Apart from scoliosis of unknown origin or linked to an inequality in the length of the lower limbs, the shape of the spine is an excellent benchmark for knowing the state of equilibrium/imbalance of the muscular tensions around. The vertical axis of your column can be compared to a mast, the shrouds around are the muscles.

If there is no balance between the pulls of all the shrouds, if they are too tight, the mast is more fragile, it breaks at the first gust of wind. A yoga sequence built to relieve stiffness in the muscles involved in maintaining your spine should involve the front, back of the body, and the sides. The pelvis and shoulders should also be relieved of their stiffness. The work on these muscles to lengthen them must be qualitative: by breathing deeply, listening to your body.

Balance: your pace, your support in everyday life

Most of the time, we run from one activity to another, we are taken by the first emotion or thought that comes. We do not take the time to stop to refocus, to return to what we feel here and now through the maintenance of our body in particular. What is happening outside of us gets our full attention, inside of us it is a desert.

Our appearance reflects exactly the way we live, the way we live in our bodies. Our emotions and thoughts are imprinted in our bodies. By bringing your attention back to your posture and your breathing for a few minutes a day, you will gradually move from a slack posture harmful to your back, towards a straightened posture, favorable for the functioning of your whole body. The old adage: "Having your feet on the ground and your head on your shoulders" makes perfect sense.

Stress increases tension in the back muscles

When you are constantly faced with situations that make you react, your nervous system eventually becomes exhausted. The tone of our muscles, ie their state of relaxation at rest, varies according to the stress felt on a daily basis. Some people are so stressed during the day that their necks and stomachs are stretched at night when they go to bed. The muscles around the back are very sensitive to your psychological state. In times of heavy moral fatigue or repeated stress, they harden to form contractures or as we say knots in the back. Techniques in the practice of yoga, oriented towards the relaxation of the body, can be used to improve the relaxed state of the body.

And you, what do you do when you have back pain?

About us

This contribution has been made by Vishuddhi Yoga who has written a number of articles on yoga teacher training courses and provides fruitful information.